It's 5:00 Somewhere
by rongirl98
Summary: After her mother dies, Akari gets drunk and wakes up married to Owen. The mayor says that a couple has to stay together for a full year before they can get divorced. Will these two fall in love before the year is over? Sorry for the crappy summary.
1. Waking Up To A Surprise

I sighed heavily on my way to the Sundae Inn. It was 8:26, so that meant the bar was open, and I _really_ needed some vodka  
Earlier today, I got a call from my aunt, telling me that my mother was murdered last night by a jealous co-worker. After she told me  
the news, I cried for hours and practically trashed my house.

My mom was my best friend. She helped me with my homework when I was little, she played games with me when no one else would, she encouraged me to do my best, she helped me with boy troubles, and no matter how bad of a day she had at work, she always seemed to have time to talk to me.

I loved her with all my heart, and now she's gone. I opened the big brown double doors, and sat down on in front of the counter.

"Hey Akari," a voice said beside me. I turned my head to see a familiar red-head next to me.

"Hey Owen," I replied, blankly. I didn't know Owen that well. Sure, I passed him sometimes on my way to the mines, but we weren't friends or anything.

"What's wrong with you?" He asked, arching an eyebrow. I sighed and asked Hayden for a large glass of vodka.

"Fine, just...stressed out," I answered. He nodded and took a swig of his cocktail. "So...have you planted this season's crops yet?" I swore and shook my head. Today was Fall 1st, and I _still_ haven't even bought any seeds.

Hayden placed the alcohol in front of me, and I emptied the glass almost immediately. Owen's eyes widened.

"Whoa, girl. Slow down," he said to me, putting his hands up. "I didn't know you drank."

"I don't, usually. But there are some moments in life when you need to sit down and have some scotch. Which I want, by the way. And make it a double" I said, saying the last part to Hayden. I looked at Owen. "So why are _you_ here?"

Owen sighed and drank the rest of his cocktail. "Ramsey's been giving me a hard time at work and Chloe's been getting on  
my nerves. Talk about stress."

"I hear ya'," I said, as Hayden put two new drinks in front of us. We clinked our glasses together and took a swig.

"Hey 'yall," Kathy greeted as she walked up to us. I waved and took another sip of my drink. "So Owen," she started,  
batting her eyes. "How have you been?"

He shrugged. "Eh. I've been better." Kathy smiled at him and opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted when  
her dad yelled, "Kathy! Come here for a second!"

She waved and walked away. Owen and I looked at each other, shrugged, and continued to drink our alcohol. Then I got drunk, and I don't remember what happened next.

* * *

I woke up the next day with a major headache. I groaned and sat up. I ran my fingers through my hair, when I noticed a diamond ring on my finger. My eyes popped out of my head and my jaw dropped.

Oh my goddess! I'm _married_? To who? When did I get married? ...What _happened_ last night? I sighed and shook my head, and saw a familiar red-head knocked out beside me out of the corner of my eye. Oh...my...goddess...I'm in trouble.

* * *

***gasp* Dun dun DUUUUN! What will happen next? Keep reading to find out! Sorry for the short chapter, I'm not very good at first chapters. Anyway, thanks for reading!**


	2. Say What!

I jumped out of bed and looked at Owen. He was laying on his side, sleeping soundly. On his right hand, there was a ring identical to mine.  
I paced near the bed, trying to remember what happened last night. After a couple more minutes, I let out an angry sigh, coming up  
with nothing. I walked over to my bed, and poked Owen between the eyes.

He stirred a little, but he didn't wake up. I poked him again. He still didn't wake up. I frowned, and punched his arm.

"OW!" He screamed, shooting up. He looked around and his eyes widened. Then he noticed me, and jumped out of bed.  
"Oh my goddess! Why am I in your house?"

"Well, I don't know-" I held out my hand in front of him. "-_Dear_!" His eyes grew bigger and his mouth hung open.

"What?" He shouted. "We're _married_? How? When did we get married?"

I shrugged and shook my head. "Last night, I guess." Owen put his hand on his forehead and groaned.

"What are we gonna do?" he asked.

I thought for a minute. "I guess we go to Town Hall and...ask for a divorce."

Owen nodded. "Yeah. That sounds...sensible."

I motioned to the door. "Then let's go."

I opened the door and walked out, Owen at my tail. Owen and I were silent on the walk to Town Hall. I pushed open the large doors, and walked up to the counter. Gill looked up from his work and smirked.

"Well if it isn't our newly weds," he said, chuckling.

I rolled my eyes. "Where's Hamilton?"

"Upstairs."

"Thanks."

Owen and I started running up the stairs, when Gill called, "Nice wedding photos, by the way." "_Shut up_!" I shouted. When we reached the  
top of the stairs, we could see Mayor Hamilton trying to reach a book on the top shelf.

Owen and I walked to where he was, and Owen grabbed the book for him.

"Oh, thank you-" The mayor looked at us and he smiled. "Well hello! What a nice surprise! Actually, I can't say it's a surprise. I was kind of expecting you two to show up."

"Hmm, I wonder why," I said, holding my hand out. "Mayor Hamilton, would you mind telling us what exactly happened last night?"

Hamilton sighed. "Well, Gill was working late here last night, when you two busted through the doors and demanded to get married. So Gill called me and told me to come here. When I got here, you asked me to marry you two. I tried to say no and tell you both to come to your senses, but you practically begged me. So I gave in, and now you two are married!" Hamilton smiled, but his smile disappeared when we saw our reactions.

Our mouths hung open and we were blinking a lot. My right eye was slightly twitching, which happens when I'm annoyed or really shocked, like now.

"But we were _drunk_!" I yelled.

The small man cleared his throat and added, "Well, the wedding was something to remember, in my opinion. You wanna see the pictures?" He led us over to a cabinet in the corner of the room, and pulled out a handful of pictures.

I took the pictures in my hand, and my eyes popped out of my head. The first picture showed Owen and I standing in front of the table in the church. I had my right arm around his shoulder and I was giving the peace sign with my other hand, while sticking my tongue out. Owen had his left arm around my waist, and was making a rocker sign with his other hand.

The second picture was of us dancing. Owen was disco-dancing, and I was trying to Irish dancing. The third picture showed me kissing my ring, and in the final picture, Owen had me over his shoulder with my butt facing the camera. He was giving the peace sign with his free hand and laughing.

I walked to the nearest bookshelf, and started banging my head against the wood. Owen turned to the mayor. "Well, Mayor Hamilton, we would like to get a divorce."

I stopped hitting my head against the bookshelf and strode next to Owen. Hamilton shook his head, an apologetic look on his face.

"I'm sorry, kids, but a married couple has to stay together for at least a year before they get divorced."

"What?" I exclaimed. Hamilton's eyes grew, and he backed up a little. "I'm sorry. But, we have a law that states: If a couple gets married, they must be together for at least a year before they are allowed to get divorced."

"No, no, no, _please_ Hamilton," I begged him. "Can't you make an exception just this once?"

"I'm sorry Akari, but I'm the mayor. I can't just break a law."

"Well, can't you _change_ the law?" Owen asked him.

"I could, but it would take a lot of work and time," he replied, shrugging. "It would be a lot more simple if you two just waited until next year  
to get divorced. In the meantime, try to get along." The mayor started to walk away, but then stopped and looked over his shoulder. "Feel free  
to keep the pictures," he called.

Then he continued to walk away, and back downstairs. I groaned, and looked at Owen, who sighed, and started banging his head against the wall.

* * *

**Hello people! Rongirl here. Thanks for reading chapter 2! I'd like to give a shout-out to horseridersierra195 and lollipopdiego for being the first reviewers! Thank you, guys! Anyway, I'll put up the next chapter as soon as I can, which I hope won't be long. Thanks for reading! PEACE!**


	3. Hell's Blacksmith

**Heyo! Rongirl here! I just want to thank you guys for reading and reviewing. It means a lot to me to know that people are actually reading this. So, for being the first reviewers, I shall give a shout-out to horseridersierra, lollipopdiego, and harvestmoongirl987! Thank you guys so much! Anywho, onto chapter three. I hope you guys like it!**

* * *

After about five minutes, I got bored of pacing and listening to the sound of Owen smashing his head against the wall, so I started reading the nearest book. By the time Owen was done banging his brains out, I was almost done with the book. He backed away from the wall, and held his head in his hands. I closed my book, crossed my legs, and looked up at him.

"You know, I'm pretty sure that's not very good for your hangover," I said. Owen nodded and grimaced.

"Yeah," he said. "Not very smart, was it? I felt dizzy enough." He sat down and slowly shook his head. "What am I going to tell Ramsy? He'll be pissed!"

I looked at Owen with sympathy. I walked over to him, and sat down next to him. "Don't worry. I'm sure everything is gonna be alright."

Owen looked at me as if I were crazy. "Everything is _not_ gonna be alright! Ramsey gets ticked when I come home ten minutes late. Goddess knows how angry he'll be when I tell him why I didn't even come home last night."

"You think Ramsey's going to freak? I have to tell my _dad_. And to make things more awkward, I haven't talked to him since I was fifteen when my parents got divorced." I looked into his blue eyes, mine full of concern. "And I'll tell Ramsey with you. It won't be totally horrible."

Owen smiled and stood up. "Thanks, Akari. And I'll tell your dad with you, too."

"Oh, no no no no no. It would be better off if I told my _dad_ that I got drunk and married some dude alone," I warned, standing up. Owen  
got a confused look on his face, then he nodded, understanding that he would probably get killed.

I looked back at the book I was reading, then back at Owen. He saw the hopeful look in my eyes, and said, "You want to check that book  
out, don't you?" I nodded vigorously. He chuckled and motioned towards the book. "Go ahead."

"Yay!" I cheered. I quickly grabbed the book, then ran downstairs. Owen followed me, roaring with laughter. After I checked out the  
book, we strode out of Town Hall. I stopped walking, and turned to face him.

"So," I said. "What do we do now?"

"Well, first, we need to tell Ramsey, and then you still have to plant this season's crops," he said. I groaned. I didn't want to farm with a hangover. I growled and slumped my shoulders.

"Fine, let's go," I sighed. "I have to plant the crops sooner or later."

* * *

I walked into Souffle Farm with Owen following me.

"Hey Anissa!" I greeted the girl behind the counter. Anissa has been my best friend since I moved here. She's sweet, helpful, trustworthy, and we always have lots of fun together.

"Hey Akari!" She replied cheerfully. She noticed Owen behind me, and added, "Oh, hey Owen."

He put a hand up in her direction, then strode over to the stand on the other side of the room. Anissa leaned closer to me and whispered, "Why is he here? He doesn't farm."

I sighed and shook my head. "No, but his wife does." Anissa gave me a confused look, then her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. The same reaction I had when I found out, except I jumped out of bed and hit him.

"But...but...how?" she asked.

I put my hands together and explained, "Well, Owen and I were at the bar last night, we got drunk, and then we got hitched! Isn't that a pleasant story?"

Anissa blinked a couple times, then shook her head, bringing herself back to reality. "So...have you guys told anyone?"

"Not besides you," I answered. "But after I get seeds, we're going to tell Ramsey."

Anissa nodded. "Okay. So what would you like to buy?"

I browsed the variety of crops, then made my decision. "I'd like two bags of rice seeds, four bags of yam seeds, five bags of pumpkin seeds, and three bags of Cosmo seeds."

Anissa grabbed the seed bags from the shelf behind her, and placed them in front of me. "That will be 1,980g,"she said. I fished some money out of my wallet, and put it in her hand. "Thank you. Have a nice day, Mr. and !" I glared at her, and she laughed. "Bye-bye!" she said, waving. I grinned and waved back. I opened the door, and motioned for Owen to follow me.

Once we walked out, I put the seeds in my rucksack, and immediately fell down. Owen helped me up, and asked, "Are you okay?"

I nodded. "Yeah, it's just the weight of these things-" I patted my rucksack. "-Makes me fall down. It always happens."

"I'll hold it," he offered. "I'm much stronger than you, so I'm pretty sure I can handle the seeds."

Not needing to be told twice, I took off my rucksack, and gave it to Owen. Then we continued walking to the Blacksmith's. When we got there, Owen opened the door a crack, and someone yelled, "Owen? That _better_ be you!"

He winced, and opened the door more, so we could walk in. I hid behind Owen as we entered. Ramsey looked absolutely pissed off. His face was more red than a tomato, he had a scowl, and his hands were balled into fists at his side. Man, Owen wasn't kidding.

"Would you mind telling me _WHY YOU DIDN'T COME HOME LAST NIGHT_?" Ramsey shouted. Goddess, he could be _quite_ scary when he wanted to be. Owen reached behind him, grabbed my wrist, and dragged me in front of him.

"I didn't come home, Uncle, because _this_-" he held out my right hand, as well as his. "-Happened."

I smiled weakly, hoping he wouldn't yell again. He opened his mouth, then took a deep breath, and closed it again. Ramsey's face returned to its original color, and he put his hand on his forehead.

"Chloe," he said. "Would you please leave the room for a minute?" Chloe slumped her shoulders, then trudged out of the room. Ramsey walked closer to Owen and I, then said, "Okay, how did this happen?"

We crowded around Ramsey's counter, and told him the story. I was glad that Julius wasn't here. If he knew we got married, he would make  
us get married again, and decorate the church all sparkly and full of rainbows. I did not want that to happen.

When we were explaining, Ramsey slowly nodded. "Well, Owen," he started. "I'm very disappointed that you got drunk and got hitched. On the other hand, I'm glad you're being mature about this."

Owen nodded. "Thanks, uncle."

Ramsey patted his back and said, "You should pack up your stuff now." Owen arched an eyebrow at him, and stepped back. "What? You're  
married now, you can't still be living with your great-uncle and cousin. You have to move in with your wife."

Owen looked at me, then at Ramsey, then left the room. I walked over to Mira's counter and looked at all the jewelry. I always wanted to learn how to make jewelry, but I never had the chance. I guess I could ask Mira to teach me next time I see her. Owen came back twenty minutes  
later with a giant bag over his shoulder.

He started heading for the door, but Ramsey stopped him and whispered in his ear, looking at me. I shrunk against the counter.  
What were they talking about? Owen gave him a questioning look, then walked over to me.

"Ready to go?" he asked. I nodded, and waved at Ramsey.

"See ya' later, Ramsey," I said. He waved back, then we left. When we were halfway home, I stopped and looked at Owen. "What did Ramsey say to you back there?"

Owen blushed a little, and shook his head. "Nothing, really...Just that I should help out on your farm."

I slowly nodded, but I didn't belive him. When we arrived home, I started planting the seeds right away, while Owen brushed and fed my animals. He was actually pretty good with them. I smiled, and started watering every seed.

* * *

***gasp* Sadly, I can't go 'dun dun dun', because nothing dramatic happened...Anyway, thank you for reading! I'll put the next chapter up as soon as I think of something. PEACE! xD**


	4. Might not be so bad

After a couple more minutes, I finished watering my seeds. I put my watering can in my rucksack, and went inside my house. I had four rooms in my house. The living room, the bathroom, the kitchen/dining room, and my bedroom. Unfortunately, I had no guest bedroom, so Owen either had to sleep on the couch or, in my bed with me.

I really didn't want him to sleep with me, but it would be rude of me to make him sleep on the couch, so I guess I would just have to talk to him about it when he came back inside. As if on cue, he strolled into the house, holding his big bag of stuff. He looked at me, and held it up.

"Where do I put this?" he asked. I shrugged, and told him to just leave it by the door.

"Owen, we need to talk about the sleeping arrangements," I sighed. He didn't reply, so I continued speaking. "I'm not really comfortable with you sleeping in my bed."

"Why not? I'm your husband. It's not like anything's gonna happen. Married couples barely do it, anyway"

I cocked my head to the side. "Yes, but you're not my...husband-husband. The only reason we're married is because we got drunk. So you're technically not my husband in my book."

He raised an eyebrow. "I know, but-"

"Could you just _please_ sleep on the couch tonight?" I snapped, waving my hands. "We'll work it out in the morning, alright?"

Owen nodded, picked up his bag, and threw it on the couch. Then he sat down next to it, and turned on the T.V. I walked into the kitchen, opened the fridge, and looked at what I had to eat. It was already dinnertime, suprisingly. I guess we woke up later then I thought. I browsed at all the food, trying to decide what to make for dinner.

I had leftover pepperoni pizza, pork chops and mashed potatoes, a couple slices of shortcake, corn soup, many bottles of soda, buckwheat noodles, some herb cookies, and salmon fried rice. I wasn't in the mood for pizza, and I ran out of gravy yesterday, so all that was left for dinner was corn soup, buckwheat noodles, and salmon fried rice.

"Hey Owen," I shouted over my shoulder. "What do you want for dinner? We have corn soup, buckwheat noodles, and salmon fried rice."

"Ooh, corn soup!" He replied without hesitation. I smiled, grabbed the soup out of the fridge, and took the cover off the container. I poured it into two seperate bowls, then set it in the microwave. After I punched in the time, I walked over to the dining table and straightened the table cloth.

When the timer went off, I called Owen, and took the food out of the microwave. I placed a bowl in front of him, and he immediately dug in. Everything was silent while we ate, except for the sound of Owen slurping his corn soup. When we were done eating, I put the bowls in the sink and sat down opposite of Owen on the couch.

He looked at me and said, "That was good soup. Did you make that?"

I nodded. "Yep. I make it a lot, considering corn soup is one of my favorite foods." Owen's eyes lit up when I said that.

"Really? It's one of my favorites, too!"

"Really? Then you're gonna _love_ heaving dinner here!" I said, chuckling. "Hey, you want some dessert?"

"Do you have any shortcake?" he asked. I smiled at him, and nodded. "Yay! Go get it!"

I laughed, then fetched the cake. I put two slices each on two plates, and handed him one. He scarfed them down in no time, but I ate them faster.

"Man, Akari. You can eat," he commented.

I giggled and said, "Ooh! Wanna have a soda-drinking contest?"

He lauged and nodded. We walked into the kitchen, and he stood in front of the counter. I got four large bottles of orange soda, and two cups. I poured some soda into each one, then gave him one.

"Okay, here are the rules," I said. "Whoever can drink the most cups in half an hour, wins. When you run out of soda, fill it up-" I motioned towards the bottle I placed next to him. "To the rim of the cup. The loser has to run around the whole island screaming, 'Kiss my ass, Gill'. Got it?"

Owen rubbed his hands. There was a twinkle in his eye. "Ooh, this is gonna be fun. Be prepared to run, princess. I'm about to drink you into the next century."

I smirked. "In your dreams, hot shot, 'cause you're going to be the one to lose."

He chuckled. "You got guts, girl. Ready?"

"Set," I said.

"Go!" He exclaimed.

I chugged my glass in less than five seconds, and quickly refilled it. When half an hour was gone, I raised my hands and shouted,  
"Time!"

Both of my bottles were completely empty, whereas one of Owen's bottles was still half-full. "Twenty-eight cups," he said. "Beat that."

I clapped a little. "Good job, Owen. But not good enough. Thirty-five cups, read it and weep, loser!"

Owen banged his fist against the counter while I danced and cheered. After I calmed down, I looked at him and said, "Ahem. Isn't there something you have to do?"

He groaned. He was pretending to be mad, but I could see in his eyes that he was really happy. Or at least happy enough to smile. I skipped out the door, dragging Owen with me. We walked to Waffle Town, then, Owen took off running.

"KISS MY ASS, GILL!" He shouted at the top of his lungs. He continued yelling as he ran. When he passed me to go to Maple Lake District, I saw a wide smile on his face. I knew it! I burst out laughing when Gill came out of the Sundae Inn and started chasing him. Hey, maybe married life with Owen won't be that bad. This year might actually be fun.

* * *

We came home laughing like idiots when Owen was finished running and screaming. Gill caught up to Owen when he turned around to go back to Waffle Town, and gave him quite a scolding. It was pretty funny, actually.

"Did you see his face?" he asked. "It was more red than a tomato!"

"I know! I thought he was going to explode!" After a couple more minutes of maniacle laughter, Owen said good-night and headed towards the couch. "Hey. You can sleep in my bed tonight, if you want. It's queen-sized, so it's big enough to fit us both."

Owen gave me a curious look, then grinned. "Really? Okay. Thank goddess I don't have to sleep on that lumpy thing you call a sofa."

I chuckled, and rolled my eyes. "Just don't get too close to me or try to do anything. 'Cause I _will_ kick your butt."

He laughed at my last comment. I just pushed his shoulder and walked into my room. After we got settled in bed, lying very far away from each other, we went to sleep.

* * *

**Hiya! How ya' guys doing? So there's chapter 4. I hope you liked it. :) Anyway, I'm going to have a contest. The fifth person to review after this chapter gets their name used in the fanfic later. You'll find out when you find out. Just click that review button, type some stuff, and put your name with it. And ta-da! If you're the fifth person to review after this chapter is posted, you're name(not username) will be used in this fanfic. Good luck! :)**


	5. The Letter

**Hey guys! Rongirl here(duh! :p)! I know I told you there was only _one_ contest, but then I thought about _three_ contests instead! I'm sorry for those who didn't win any of the contests. And I'm sorry that it took so long for me to update. I've been pretty busy with auditions for the Seussical, homework, and my cold. Anyway, here are the winners:  
For being the first person to review after the last chapter, horseridersierra195's name is the name of Akari's aunt!  
For being the person to post the fifth review after the last chapter, Koko Dashi's name is the name of Akari's great-aunt!  
For being the fifth person to review after the last chapter, VaghnLover13132's name is the name of Akari's sister!  
Congratulations to all the winners! Once again, I'm sorry if you didn't win. :( Hope you enjoy the chapter, though.**

* * *

I stretched my arms and yawned. I could hear Owen snoring loudly beside me. After my eyes adjusted to the morning light coming out of my window, I got out of bed and went to the bathroom. I started brushing my teeth with the water running, and I could still hear him snoring. How the heck did I sleep through that?

When I finished brushing my teeth, I walked outside, and noticed a letter sticking out of the mailbox. I pulled it out, and read it.

_Dear Akari,_

_We are having a funeral for your mother on the fifth, and you're welcome to come if you want. I understand if you don't want to. Attending a mother's funeral can be very upsetting. But it may also help if you do come._  
_If you decide to attend, come visit me. I will be hosting the funeral. Your sister, Chelsea, has also come to live with me, so expect to see her. We miss and love you and hope you'll come._

_P.S. Your Great-Aunt LeeAnn is coming so...be careful._

_Love, Aunt Sierra_

My eyes filled with tears as I read it. The mention of my mom's funeral reminded me of her death. I knew I couldn't avoid it forever, I just hoped it would be later. Just then, Owen walked out the door with a smile on his face. I quickly hid the letter behind my back before he could see it.

"Morning, Akari!" He greeted. He noticed my watery eyes, and frowned. "What's the matter?"

I sniffled and wiped my eyes. "Oh, uh...nothing. I just think Mabel's...sick."

"Oh. Well, I'll pick up some medicine on my way home, okay?" I nodded and he patted my head. "Good. I'm heading off to work now. See you later." He waved at me, and walked away. I stood there until he was out of sight, then I rushed back into my house. I bolted into my room, locked the door, and sat on my bed. I breathed heavily and tried to hold back my tears.

_Hold it together, Akari. You can be strong. You can handle it._ I re-read the letter, and shook my head. _No I can't._ Then I started weeping into my knees.

* * *

After two hours of crying, I fell back asleep. I heard the sound of the door opening and closing, and I shot up.  
I walked into the living room to see Owen looking out the window.

"What are you looking at?" I asked. He looked at me, startled, but his expression quickly changed to a miixture between anger and question.

"Why haven't you watered your crops yet? Or taken your animals out?" he inquired. My eyes grew wide and I face-palmed.

"I...I guess I-I just f-forgot," I answered shakily.

"How do you just forget?" he demanded. His voice started to rise with each word. "You've been doing it everyday for a year and a half!"

"Hey! I've only been raising animals for a year, for your information!" I protested.

"Same difference!" He yelled. "It's still your responsibility to water your crops and feed your animals! I left at six a.m., and it's now five o' clock. How can you go that long without doing any farmwork?"

"I...I don't know," I answered, lowering my head.

"How can you not know? What the hell distracted you from your work?"

I looked him in the eye and glared at him. I dropped the letter in the couch, and shouted, "My mother's death!" Before he could reply, I ran into my room and slammed the door. I slid down against it, and resumed crying. I didn't care if he came to apologize or not. I didn't care if he tried to cheer me up. I didn't care. I just wanted to be by myself and cry my heart out.

There was a soft knock on the door. "Akari?" Owen asked quietly. I didn't reply. "Akari?" he asked again. "Can I come in?"

"No! Go away!" I shouted, hugging my knees.

"Akari, I'm sorry I yelled at you," he apologized. "I didn't know about your mother. I was stupid. I'm sorry. Will you please let me in?"

I sniffled, reached up, and slowly opened the door a crack. Owen's head popped through the crack, and he looked at me with sorry eyes. "Listen, it was wrong of me to yell at you and blame you for not taking care of your crops. And I'm sorry. I didn't know about your mother's death, and I shouldn't have scolded you.I know how you feel, though. My parents died when I was seven. Was I depressed? Very. But I got through it. And you will too. But I probably didn't help by shouting."

I shook my head and moved out of the way so he could come in the room. He opened the door more, and walked in. He held a hand out to me, which I took, and helped me up. I put my hands on his chest and cried into his shoulder, and he wrapped his arms around me. He rubbed my back and told me he was sorry and that everything was going to be alright repeatedly.

After a long time, I sniffled and rubbed my eyes. I looked into his eyes. "So...should we go to the funeral?"

"Do you want to?" he asked.

I thought for a moment, then slightly nodded. "Yes. I do."

Owen smiled at me. "Then we're going."

I smiled back at him, and hugged him once again. Remembering what my Aunt Sierra mentioned, I pulled away again. "By the way, my Great-Aunt LeeAnn is coming, and she's a little...crazy."

Owen swatted my matter away with his hand. "Ah, she can't be that bad."

I shook my head. "Okay, but don't say I didn't warn you." He started to laugh, but his laugh got weaker when I didn't laugh too. "I'm serious."  
He looked scared when I told him that, so I started cracking up. "Don't worry. She's not mental." I continued to laugh, but he continued to look a little scared, wondering what she was like.


	6. Meeting my family

I heaved my backpack onto my back as Owen marched around Anissa and I, looking for his suitcases. I lifted my own off the ground, and looked at Anissa.

"Are you sure you want to look after my farm while I'm gone?" I asked her. Anissa volunteered to water my crops and feed my animals while Owen and I were away at my mom's funeral.

"Yes, I'm sure," she said with an assuring smile. "Now go. You'll be late to catch your boat."

"Okay, okay, we're going." I looked around the living room, and found Owen pulling his giant douffle-bag out of under the couch. I helped him out, and dragged him to the door. "Come on, hot-shot. We don't have all the time in the world. Bye Anissa! You're a doll for doing this!"  
I waved at my best friend, and she waved back.

"You're welcome! Have, uh...fun at the funeral?" She had a confused look on her face, trying to decide what you say to someone going to a funeral.

I nodded and waved again. And with that, we head off to Waffle Town. Luckily, we got on the boat right before it left. Our cabin had two seperate bedrooms, and a small living room in between with a big T.V. I dropped my suitcase on the bed in my room, and poked my head out the door. Owen was sitting in front of the T.V., flipping through the channels.

"Hey Owen," I said. "I'm gonna go back to sleep since it's gonna be a long trip, kay?" He grunted and continued staring at the T.V., so I shrugged and shut the door. "Wake me up when we're there!" I didn't bother changing into my pajamas. I just slid under the covers, and shut my eyes.

* * *

"Akari! Akari, wake up! We're here!" Owen shouted from the other side of the door. I rubbed my eyes, got out of bed, and ran out of the cabin with my suitcase. My backpack was partly on, partly off my back. Owen looked at me with a weird look, then quickly followed me. I couldn't wait to get to my aunt's house. The last time I saw her was at my high school graduation party when I was eighteen.

When we got off the boat, I saw my aunt standing in front of her car only a couple feet away. She was a middle-aged woman with blonde hair that had some thin streaks of gray. She was wearing washed away jeans and a pink sweater with a white long-sleeved shirt underneath. She also had on black spectacles with tiny diamonds in the corners over her chocolate-brown eyes. When I saw her, I dropped my suitcase and ran up to her, giving her a big hug. She was one or two inches shorter than me.

"Oh my goodness," she said, wrapping her arms around me. "You've grown up so much! How old are you now? Twenty-nine?"

"Twenty-three," I answered. She beamed, but then furrowed her eyebrows and frowned. She was looking over my shoulder.

"Who's he?" she asked, pointing at Owen, who was strolling towards us carrying both my suitcase and his giant douffle-bag. I mouthed 'Oh' and chuckled nervously.

"Actually, it's a funny story," I said. I put a hand on her shoulder, and told her the sory I've told too many times. When I finished, Owen got to us and smiled at my Aunt Sierra. She raised an eyebrow, but then shook her head and put her hand up.

"I'm not suprised. Your mother married your father after they've only been dating for a month. They had a story similar to yours, except you were sort of involved and their parents didn't pass away."

I raised my eyebrows in understanding, and got in her car without another word. We got to her house in about half an hour. On the way there, my aunt thought it'd be a good idea to tell Owen about every humiliating thing I've done in third grade. And that was a year I've been trying to forget. When she parked in front, I picked up my suitcase and backpack and jumped out of the car. My Great-Aunt LeeAnn burst out of the doors and ran to me.

She had blue eyes and curly gray hair tied up in a bun. It was held in place with a bright pink pick with a dragon on it. She was wearing a long black skirt that reached just abover her ankles, and a matching blouse with puffy long sleeves. She had on strappy black sandals on her thin and bony feet. "Oh my, Akari!" She exclaimed. Owen and Aunt Sierra still haven't gotten out of the car, so she added, "Oh, still no boyfriend, I see. One would think that you would have a boyfriend by now, since you live on a small island with not that many girls."

"Great Aunt LeeAnn..." I whined. She put a hand up and continued.

"You know, you should wear tighter clothing. It wouldn't hurt if you showed your butt a little more. And you've got a pretty decent size already, but you should get surgery for bigger-"

"_Aunt LeeAnn_!" I snapped. Aunt Sierra and Owen finally got out of the car, and walked over to us.

"Sorry it took so long," Sierra apologized. "Owen's bag got stuck under the seat. And actually, LeeAnn, little Akari's married." She told LeeAnn the story I told her, and Great-Aunt LeeAnn looked at me with a proud look on her face.

"So you got drunk and got hitched?" she asked, nodding. "Well, that's one way to get them. How old are you, son?"

"Uhh, twenty-five," Owen answered. He gave me a confused look, and I sighed.

"Twenty-five? Ooh, I hear they're_ real_ fun in bed, Akari," she said, winking and elbowing me.

"Okay, bye-bye!" I said. I picked up my suitcase, and headed inside the house. I dropped my suitcase on the table and shimmied my backpack off. I put a hand on my forehead and smiled. _That's Great-Aunt LeeAnn for ya_. My thoughts were interupted by a noise nearby. I quickly turned my head to see my sister poking her head out behind the wall.

She had brown hair, like mine, but it was slightly wavy and went to her waist. She was wearing a yellow T-Shirt with an orange flower on it with a white jacket, and jeans that ripped at the knee. She had on brown cowboy boots, too. Her chocolate-brown eys were red around the edges and slightly puffy. "A-Akari?"

My grin grew, and I hugged her. She quickly wrapped her arms around me and sniffled. "Oh, Akari. I've missed you! I haven't seen you in over a year!"

"Chelsea! I know! I've missed you, too!" I exclaimed. She pulled away and wiped her nose. She dragged me to the couch and sat me down.

"Tell me everything that's happened to you," she demanded.

"Oh, where to start." I sighed. She giggled, and I told her everything that's happened to me from my first day on the island right up to when Owen and I got married.

The other three came in after in an hour later, right while I was in the middle of telling Chelsea about the time Anissa and I went camping and it rained, soaking through the tent and getting us wet. I had a good time the rest of the night. Great-Aunt LeeAnn embarrassed Owen and I and Aunt Sierra told us stories about her high school years. It made me forget that I was going to a funeral the next day.

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**Hey guys! Well, there's chapter six for ya! I hope you liked it! It was fun thinking up Great-Aunt LeeAnn. I really tried to make her like that. What if you had a great-aunt like that? *shudders* Anyway, don't forget to review! PEACE!**


	7. No Fun At The Funeral

My alarm went off, making an annoying beeping sound. I groaned and put a pillow over my face. If I got up, I would have to go to my mother's funeral. I didn't want to be reminded of her death. It hurt thinking about her. She's gone now. And she's never coming back. My eyes stung with tears while my alarm clock continued to beep.

"Ugh, would you shut that thing _up_ already?" Great-Aunt LeeAnn stormed into my room and banged on the alarm clock until it finally broke. She sighed with relief and looked at me. "Aw, come on, Akari, get up. Owen's already downstairs eating breakfast, and _boy_ can that man eat! Eating a lot of food is good for you. And have you seen his muscles? That's from a lot of hard work. I want my great-great nieces and nephews to be that healthy and fit. When will they be here, by the way?"

I threw my pillow at her and glared. "Aunt LeeAnn, Owen and I are not having kids. He's not even my husband-husband."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You're saying that now but deep down you know you want to-"

"If I get up will you be _quiet_?" She studied me for a minute, then nodded. She stood up, dusted herself off, then looked back at me. But this time, her gaze was more sad.

"I miss her, too." And with that, she left the room. I blinked a couple times, then wiped my eyes and got dressed. I chose to wear a black skirt that went to my knees with a black long-sleeved shirt, and a black jacket that had big black buttons over it. On my feet, I wore black high heels. I left my hair down, and put on a black hat with a small black veil.

I slowly walked down the stairs, and into the kitchen. Everyone else was already dressed for the funeral. Aunt Sierra turned around to face me, a bottle of syrup in hand. She smiled weakly and waved her other hand.

"Good morning, Akari," she greeted softly. "It's about time you woke up. Want some breakfast? We have waffles."

"My mom's favorite," I whispered. I smiled and nodded, then sat down. She set a plate of Waffles in front of me, and I dug in.

"You know," Owen started, pointing his fork at me. "If your mom's favorite breakfast was waffles, then she should have moved to Waffle Island with you."

I laughed weakly, and continued eating. "Yeah...She would've loved the scenery. And the food. Definitely the food."

After everyone finished eating, we all hopped in Aunt Sierra's car and drove to the funeral. The funeral was being held near the woods, where my mom always went when she needed to think when she was little. She loved nature and everything about it. I sat down on a chair in the front, and Owen sat down next to me. Chelsea sat on the other side, and Aunt Sierra and Great-Aunt LeeAnn sat behind us.

"Do you think dad's coming?" Chelsea whispered to me. I shrugged and shook my head.

"Who knows? I mean, they got a divorce years ago, but I could tell that he still loved her."

Chelsea slowly nodded, then pointed at a man in the corner. "Ooh, I think that's him!" She exclaimed excitedly. I looked to where she was pointing. The man had scruffy brown hair, and a few hairs on his chin. He was pretty muscly and very tall. His eyes were a bright blue and round. He looked around, trying to find his seat, and tapped his foot.

"Yep, that's dad," I said. "He's doing that foot-tappy-thingy. Dad always does that when he's nervous. Remember the time he forgot his and mom's anniversary? He was tapping his foot for a week."

Chelsea nodded. Her eyes were full of sadness. Our cousin Jerry tapped a microphone in front of my mother's coffin, and started speaking.

"Um...attention, please?" He said nervously. Everyone hushed, and he continued. "It's very sad when family members cross over. We're all here today to remember Lilly Jessica Jones, a caring mother, and a loving relative. She was sweet, and cared about all of us. She could find the good in everyone, no matter what everyone else thought. She was peaceful, but was also a though woman. She stood up for what she believed in, and wouldn't take no for an answer."

Chelsea leaned closer to me and whispered, "I'm...I'm going to...go to the bathroom." I bit my lip and nodded. She got up,  
ran down the aisle, and into the woods.

"Is there anyone who would like to say a few words about Lilly?' Jerry asked. I slowly raised my hand, and he pointed at me. I walked over to where he was, took the microphone, and started speaking.

"There are...a lot of things to say about...about my mother," I said hesitantly. "She...cared about us. She loved us with all her heart. She was kind and considerate, and always listened to our problems. Then she would make her delicious chocolate-chip cookies to cheer us up. No matter how bad we were, she would give us a hug and tell us we were the best girls she could ever have. Every night, she gave us a g-good-night kiss and told us h-how much she l-l-loved us." My voice was starting to get shaky, and my eyes were watering. "She was...the b-best mother I could ever a-ask for, and I h-hope she has a g-great after-life. She d-deserves at l-l-least that."

Everyone sniffled and smiled at me when I walked back to my seat. Owen pulled me into a hug, and I crumpled into him. I cried my eyes out, soaking his shirt. I wasn't the only one. Aunt Sierra, my cousins Nellie, Katie, and Felicia, and even Owen was getting teary-eyed. He rubbed my back as I continued to cry into him. After a while, everyone wiped their eyes, and got up for food.

I sniffled, wiped my puffy, red eyes, and stood up as well. I looked over at my dad, who was at one of the food tables. I told Owen I'd be right back, and walked over to him. Time to tell him I'm married. I tapped his shoulder, and he swiftly turned around.

"Oh," he said. He pulled me into a hug. "Hello sweetie! It's nice to finally see you again! That was a...great speech. Your mother would've loved it."

"I know," I replied. "Hello dad."

"So...how have you been all these years?" he asked, pulling away.

I sighed. "Well, I live on Waffle Island, and I'm a farmer. I have two cows, a sheep, and some chickens, too. I also have lots of great friends there."

"Well, it sounds like you have yourself a good life," he commented.

I chuckled nervously and wiped some remaining water out of my eyes. "Yeah...that's not the half of it. You see, when I heard that mom...  
died...I kind of...got drunk and, uh...got married."

"What?" He shrieked. His eyes were full of anger, and his body stiffened. "Who is it? Who'd you marry?"

I pointed over my shoulder at Owen. "Him. I married him. He's a blacksmith, and the mayor says that we have to be together for a full year before we can get divorced."

My dad was about to say something, but was interrupted when Aunt Sierra ran up to us with a worried look on her face. "Chelsea's missing!"

I raised an eyebrow and shook my head. "No she's not. She just went to the bathroom in the woods for a couple minutes."

Sierra looked at me as if I was crazy. "Do you _seriously_ think that? Chelsea wouldn't go to the bathroom in the woods to save her life!"

I thought for a moment, then gasped. "Well where is she?"

"I don't know!" Sierra exclaimed. I looked at my dad, whose face was losing color. I shook my head and ran to the edge of the woods.

"CHELSEA!" I shouted. "CHEEEEELLLLLSSSSEEEEAAAAA!"

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***gasp* O...M...G. _What_ will happen next? Read the next chapter to find out! Thanks for reading! :)**


	8. Get Through This

I paced up and down the aisle, mumbling worriedly to myself. How could Chelsea run away? Where was she? Was she hurt? Was she lost? I let out an angry huff and balled my fists. A group of people went off in the woods to look for Chelsea a couple minutes ago. The group included my dad, my cousins Jerry, Natalia, Allison, and David, my Uncle Lance, and my Aunt Jennifer. I groaned sadly as Great Aunt LeeAnn approached me.

"You know," she started. "This _does_ seem like something Chelsea would do. She always has been an over-emotional drama queen. I hope my great-great nieces and nephews aren't like that. And I want them to have red hair." She watched Owen as he walked past us. "Dang, that's a _nice_ ass!"

I rolled my eyes and she shrugged and walked away. I crossed my arms and shook my head, but looked after Owen, too. _Hmm...Great-Aunt LeeAnn's right...Gah, what am I saying?_ I shook my head again and walked over to Aunt Sierra, my eyes starting to water.

She saw the sad look on my face, and pulled me into a hug. She patted my back as I cried into her shoulder. "It's okay, Akari," she soothed. "We'll find her. Everything's gonna be alright."

"She's...she's my s-sister!" I cried. "First mom d-dies, then Chelsea r-runs away! What if something happens to her?"

"No, no, no. Don't even think like that," she reassured. "Nothing is going to happen to her. How 'bout this: We go back to my house and have some hot cocoa while everyone searches? Does that sound good?"

I wiped my nose on my sleeve and nodded. Aunt Sierra smiled and patted my shoulders. "Good. I'll get LeeAnn and we'll go.

I nodded again, and she turned around and left to look for Aunt LeeAnn. Wiping my eyes, I turned around to see Owen standing in front of me.

"Where are you going?" He asked.

"Back to Aunt Sierra'a house while everyone searches," I answered. "You wanna come with us?" He shook his head.

"No. I'm gonna go help look for Chelsea." I smiled at him, then gave him a hug.

"Thank you," I whispered. He nodded, and patted my back. He opened his mouth to say something else, but Aunt Sierra and Great-Aunt LeeAnn came up to us.

"The two love-birds getting cozy, eh?" LeeAnn smirked. We quickly pulled away, blushing. Owen rubbed the back of his head while Great-Aunt LeeAnn snickered and patted our backs. "Just don't use a condom. I want my great-great nieces and nephews to be able to attend my funeral."

Owen's face turned redder than a cherry, then left for the forest with a quick wave. "Okay, let's go," Aunt Sierra said hurriedly, dragging Great-Aunt LeeAnn to the car before she could say something else. I scooted in the car after them, and we drove back home. We were all silent during the ride. The radio wasn't even on, which usually was when Great-Aunt LeeAnn was in the car.

When we arrived at the house, I ran out of the car and through the door. I rushed upstairs, grabbed my iPod, and went back downstairs. Aunt Sierra was making the hot chocolate, and Great-Aunt LeeAnn was sitting on the couch with her feet propped up on the coffee table, reading Cosmo. I sat down at the table and plugged my iPod into a speaker before turning it on.

Whenever I was stressed or angry or sad, I would listen to music, and it would calm me down. My iPod was my security blanket. Like mom's was the woods, Aunt Sierra's was her knitting kit, Chelsea's was the pink teddy bear dad gave her, and Great-Aunt LeeAnn's was her Cosmo magazines. I set my iPod on shuffle, and the song was "Bring Me To Life" by Evanescence.

I growled, and tapped the 'forward' button. That was not a good song to listen to right now. It was a good song, but very depressing, and I didn't need to feel more depressed. The next song wasn't any better. It was "Hate Me" by Blue October. I groaned, and poked the 'forward' button hard. "How To Save A Life" by The Fray came on, and I angrily turned off my iPod and threw it at the couch. It just missed Great-Aunt LeeAnn by a couple inches.

She looked at my iPod, then at me, then shrugged and averted her attention back to her magazine. I let out a sob and rested my head on the table as Aunt Sierra placed a cup of her steaming hot chocolate in front of me. She patted my head, sat down next to me, and gave me a look of concern.

"Akari, I know that this is hard for you," she said. "It's hard for me and Aunt LeeAnn, too. We loved your mother with every fiber of our beings,  
and we miss her like heck. But we have to get over it. We can't just spend the rest of our lives mourning. We have to get up, dust ourselves off,  
and continue with our lives. Sure, we'll always miss her and wish she was still here, but as long as we remember her in our hearts, we'll be okay.  
And you will, too."

I lefted my head up and looked into her eyes. They were watering, but serious. We stood up, wrapped our arms around each other, and started crying into each other. Great-Aunt LeeAnn joined the hug, and we all cried our hearts out. I don't know how long we stood like that, but we were interrupted by a couple rough knocks on the door. I sniffled, wiped my nose, and answered the door.

When I opened it, I saw a wet Owen standing next to a muddy, shivering Chelsea in the rain. As they walked in, I gave Chelsea a big hug, which she returned.

"Oh my goddess, _Chelsea_!" I breathed. "I was so worried about you! Why'd you run away?" I lead Chelsea to the couch, and we sat down. She looked at the ground with puffy, red, guilty eyes, and hesitantly answered.

"I...I thought i-if mom g-gets to leave this world...w-why can't I? I-It's not fair. She didn't deserve t-t-to die. S-So if she c-can't have h-h-her life, why sh-should I? S-So I ran away into th-the...the woods, looking for bears."

I shook my head, appauled. "No, no, no, _no_, Chelsea. _No_. Just because mom was killed, it doesn't mean you have to try to kill your self. You have to get on with your life. As long as you keep her in your heart, you'll be okay. You'll make it through this. I know you will."

Chelsea looked up at me with an apologetic look, slightly smiled, and gave me another hug. "You're right, Akari. I'm sorry. I was stupid. I guess I can get overemotional, can't I?" She chuckled weakly, pulling away and wiping her eyes. "Anyway, I'm going to go to bed now. Good night everyone." She stood up, and walked upstairs. After a few minuted of silence, Aunt Sierra and Great-Aunt LeeAnn wished us a good night, then followed Chelsea.

I looked up at Owen, and smiled. "You found her, didn't you?"

He rubbed the back of his neck, then looked at me with a sheepish smile on his face. "Yeah. Yeah I did. She was huddled against a tree deep in the woods, crying like there was no tomorrow, so I led her back home."

I walked over to him, and gave him a kiss on the cheek. I looked at him with gratefulness, and waved.

"Thank you. And good night." I turned around and went upstairs like the others did, leaving Owen slightly blushing and confused.

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**Hey guys! Sorry that I haven't reviewed in, like...forever...I've just been lazy and haven't gotten the inspiration to write lately. :p Anyway, I'm barely keeping my eyes open right now, so I'm going to go to sleep after I put up this chapter. Thank you for reading and don't forget to review! PEACE! :D**


	9. I Was NOT Jealous

**Hey guys! Sorry I haven't updated in a long time, it's just that my teachers have been piling homework on us, rehearsals have been more frequent, and I haven't had the time to update. Not to mention it took me a while to get around the Type 2 Error, but I finally found out how! Anyway, I'm _so_ sorry that it took a long time for me to update. I promise I'll try to update more often! Anyway(again), here's chapter nine! I hope you like it!**

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"Ah, finally, we're home!" I shouted as I walked off the dock. Owen stumbled off behind me, carrying all of our luggage. I looked back at him and raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure you don't want any help?"

"Naw, I've got it," he said, straightening his posture. "It was just a little tricky getting off the boat." I smiled and shook my head.

"At least let me carry my backpack." I slipped my backpack off of his shoulder and put it on mine before he could object. "Now let's hurry to the house. As responsible as Anissa is, I can't help but feel at least one thing went wrong."

"Ah, you're just still shaken up from the visit," Owen said. "Im sure everything's fine."

"Either way, I can't wait to get home and take a long, long nap," I sighed, walking up the path through Waffle Town. Owen quickly caught up to me, and we continued to walk.

"I'm glad everything turned out alright," Owen said, trying to start conversation.

"Yeah, I don't like drama," I agreed. "And with Chelsea, drama tends to happen a lo-"

"AKARI!" Maya screeched as she saw me. She ran from the Sundae Inn and practically tackled me to the ground. Maya was my other best friend, and always acted like this when she saw me. She was pretty much the opposite of Anissa. Anissa was calm; Maya was hyper. Anissa loved to farm; Maya wasn't a big fan of dirt. Anissa cared about her studies and knowledge; Maya was more interested in food and fun. And finally, Anissa was a great cook; Maya could burn water, goddess knows how. But I loved them both all the same.

I grinned, and hugged my best friend. "Hey Maya! Can you please get off of me?"

Maya giggled, and stood up. Owen offered a hand to help me up, and I gladly accepted. After I had dusted myself off, Maya giggled again and looked at Owen curiously. I mentally slapped my forehead as I remembered: I hadn't told Maya about Owen yet. When she questioned where I was goin, all I said was that I would be going to my mother's funeral. I didn't mention that Owen would be coming with me.

"One moment," Maya said to Owen. He nodded, and she dragged me to the square are near the mayor's house. There were two benches along the edge of the rusting, metal fence surrounding it, and a street light on the corner. "Akari? Why is Owen walking with you and holding your luggage? And through the window, I could've _sworn_ I saw him get off the boat with you."

I sighed, and looked over to where Owen stood. He was currently sitting on my suitcase and reading an issue of "Sports Illustrated". Then I looked back at Maya, who was staring at me with wide, inquisitive eyes. "Well, you see..." I said, explaining the story to her. I told her about what the mayor told us, what has happened between us at home, and our visit to my aunt's. When I finished my story, Maya looked thoughtful,  
interested, curious, and holy-crap-like.

"Aw, I wish I had a husband," she finally said. I raised an eyebrow and gave her a 'what?' look. "Wha-at? I'm tired of being single, and I don't think Chase is picking up my subtle hints."

I held back a laugh when she said 'subtle hints'. If skipping around Chase and giving him complements on the smallest things(like opening a window or placing a lid on a pot)were her 'subtle hints', then I'd like to her obvious ones. I swallowed and turned serious again, then gave her a reassuring smile.

"Ah, I'm sure Chase will come around someday...eventually...Besides, Owen and I are only married because we had one-too-many glasses of alcohol. We don't have any feelings for each other. Actually, I'm surprised you're just finding out now. The whole island usually finds out about something an hour after it happens, and we've been married for about seven days."

"I tend to avoid the local gossip if it's about a friend," she said, nodding her head. Then her eyes went wider and her jaw hung open. "So that's why Kathy's been...oh no, she's gonna kill you."

I playfully slapped her shouldre and shook my head. "Ah, I doubt Kathy would do that. The worst she would do is slap me then go off into her room. She's too kind to get into a cat-fight with me. Plus, it's not like I stole Owen from her or anything. He doesn't feel that way about me. It's not my fault that the cocktails were too strong."

Maya smiled weakly, and nodded slowly. "Yeah," she said in a high voice. "But Kathy can get pretty...'scary' when she wants to. Trust me, I've known her longer than you have. All I'm saying is: Be careful. Anywho, I've gotta get back to work. Grandma's gonna kill me if I stay out any longer."

She got up, gave me a quick hug, then skipped to the Sundae Inn, her pigtails bouncing with her. I chuckled, then stood up myself. I was about to walk over to Owen when I saw another figure exit the Inn and head towards him. A blonde figure. Wearing a very revealing cow-girl outfit. Kathy. I sat back down cautiously and watched as she sashayed over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. She flash him a dazzling smile and fluttered her eyes.

"Hi Owen," she said, rubbing her hand against his shoulder. He raised an eyebrow and took her hand off of his shoulder.

"Um...hi," He responded, arching an eyebrow. She crept closer to him and looked into his eyes.

"I was wondering if you wanted to goon a date with me tonight?" She said in a seductive tone. "You know...just me and you..._alone_." All of a sudden, I felt a surge of anger rush through me. How could she ask him out? She knows he's married! Well, married out of alcohol instead of love...but still! And would he say yes? How could he not?

Kathy had beautiful, flowing, blonde hair that rested perfetly on her head, big green eyes, a perfect face, and she dressed and acted in a sexy way. The anger was suddenly replaced by...jealousy? I got up, and stormed over to where the two stood. There's no way he'd be going out with her while he's married! I put my hand on Owen shoulder and gave Kathy a small smile.

"I'm sorry, but Owen won't be going on a date with you tonight," I told her. "Or ever, for that matter. In case you haven't noticed, he's _married_. _To me_."

Kathy raised an eybrow and looked at me. "Yes, I knew perfectly well, but I know that you two only got married because you got drunk. So you guys share no feelings for each other, and Owen should have the chance to find someone who he will like."

I fake-laughed, then glared at her staright in the eye. "Truth is, Owen and I were planning on marrying _way_ before that incident at the bar happened. So guess what, missy? You can't go out with him, 'cause I've already got him hooked. Now stop hitting on married men and go after someone willing to go out with a slut like you."

Before she could reply, I grabbed our suitcases with one hand, grabbed Owen's hand with the other, and started dragging him away. "Come on, dear, let's go home."

When we got back to my house, I dropped his and hand and suitcase, and rolled mine into the bedroom. I slammed the door behind me, and started unpacking. I barely got to open the suitcase when the bedroom door opened and slammed again. I turned to face Owen, who was looking at me with piercing eyes, and crossed my arms. Finally, he spoke. Well, exclaimed is a better word.

"Okay, _what_ happened back there?" He demanded.

I let out an angry huff, and balled my fists. "Well ex_cuse_ me, but I don't think it's right to go on a date with another girl when you're married."

"I wasn't going to say yes, anyways," he protested. "I have more respect for you and myself, and you know that."

I pretended to be mad, but I knew he was right. I looked away from his eyes and sat on the bed. "I know. I don't know what came over me. It's just when I saw her flirting with you...I got a little mad that she would try to go out with a married man." A sly smile played on Owen's lips, and he sat down next to me. Then he poked my shoulder repeatedly.

"Aww, did Akari get jealous?" he teased. "Is little Akari jealous that other women like him?"

I slapped his hand away and scoffed, my cheeks turning pink.

"I was _not_ jealous!" I denied. "I was just surprised that Kathy would do that! Now...I'm gonne go take a shower." I grabbed a towel from the bathroom closet in my room, and walked into the bathroom.

As I was closing the door, I thought I heard Owen utter, "She was jealous." I rolled my eyes, and shut the door. I set the towel on the counter, looked at myself in the mirror, then turned on the shower.

"I was _not_ jealous," I muttered to myself.


	10. Author's Note

**Hey guys! I'm sorry it's taking me a while to update, but I've been kinda lazy lately. Anyway, updates will be even slower, for this week is spring break and I'm at my grandparents' house in Florida. I'll be spending all week either at the beach, somewhere with my family, or Orlando Studios. Once again, so, so,_ so_ sorry that it's taking an effing long time, and that it'll take longer.**


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